Guppy in trouble. 12/16/10
Hello,
Thank you in advance for your time and help.
<Welcome>
Ok, I have 2 tanks 1 100L and a 65L got a 350L on the way and picking up a 38L hospital tank later on today, as I've been meaning to get one.
The problem I have is with a male guppy in my 65L, I have had him since he was born in the main tank, but recently I have noticed he doesn't swim properly, when he does swim his tail hangs lower then his head, and he doesn't have the normal fluid movement like the rest, it's more like a he can't move his back almost like a shimmy.
<Mmm, how old is this fish?>
The other thing he does is when is when he swims he opens his mouth all the way and keeps it open, like he is struggling, but he tends to spend his time lying on a leaf at the top of the tank.
All the readings are normal and the tank cycled over 10 months ago.
I will admit that the tank is over stocked due to the platys breeding, but I'm aware of the problem and am doing regular water changes and have a bigger already cycled tank coming.
The only thing that has occurred in that tank is my female fighter had dropsy, well I'm pretty sure it was, her scales protruded but they have nearly almost gone done now.
We treated her with Myxazin and Octozin and that was over a week ago now.
<These should be okay... in terms of the Guppy exposure>
I can send you pictures if required and more information.
My partner wants me to take him to a fish shop so they can look at him but I think it would be far to stressful in his weekend state.
<Perhaps so>
Again thank you for you advice and guidance.
Carly
<Most likely this one fish is... "defective"... genetically/developmentally. Fishes, unlike mammals "have such difficulties" much later in age at times. If it bothers you to wait and see if this male will rally, you might euthanize this one specimen. Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/euthanasia.htm
Bob Fenner>

Sick fancy guppy 7/19/09
Hi there,
<Hello,>
I have a couple of questions for you.
<Fire away.>
First is about a male fancy guppy I have. I've just noticed he has a rather large round swelling on his upper abdomen. I'm worried that it's likely a tumor of some sort.
<Not uncommon with inbred "fancy" fish. If the lump is asymmetrical, i.e., bigger on one side of the body than the other, then a tumour is a good explanation. If the fish is swollen evenly on both sides, then constipation could be an issue, and if the swelling is such that the scales are raised and the fish looks like a pine-cone when viewed from above, it's dropsy (oedema).>
I hadn't noticed it a few days ago. He is in a 20 gallon tank with 6 other male guppies. I haven't had any water quality issues (that I'm aware of) and all the other fish seem to be fine. Interestingly enough he is an odd shape for a male guppy, kinda crooked, not slim and streamlined like the other guppies, and he's always been this way. I guess I'm just wondering if this sounds like it could possibly be something treatable that I should look into more or if it really just sounds bad and I should watch for quality of life?
<Sounds like it's simply deformed, which again, is very common with inbred fancy Guppies.>
Once I discovered his new deformity I separated him from the other fish (some of the other boys have a tendency to chase him around relentlessly).
<Good move. If things are bad for the fish and it can't enjoy it's life, then euthanasia is an option.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/euthanasia.htm
Otherwise, just keep him happy but preferably away from females so any possible bad genes aren't passed on.>
Other question, in my other tank I have 15 female fancy guppies in a 55 gallon tank. On of these fish has been getting "droopy" slowly over the last couple of months, her tail sags far below the rest of her body and she swims funny. Over the last couple of weeks I noticed that she seems skinnier than normal, like she doesn't have the round belly that they typically have, and I haven't decided if she is actually skinny or if it's due to her malformation. She seems to be eating ok and acting normal. Could this just be a (semi) normal aging process for guppies, or do you think I need to be concerned?
<Depends. If you have good water quality and water chemistry, then a single sick-looking fish is not too much of a deal. For Guppies, you're aiming for pH 7.5 to 8, and hard water around 10-25 degrees dH. If Guppies are the only fish in the tank, adding marine salt mix (rather than generic aquarium salt) will stabilise the pH and hardness while adding a little salinity, something that seems to ensure better all-around health. You don't need much salt; 3-5 grammes per litre is ample.>
I should mention that I've had both of these fish since I first got guppies, about 1 year ago.
My last question, should be an easy one I hope. What is acceptable life expectancy for fancy guppies? Are my 1-1.5 year old guppies becoming old?
<They should get to about three years in captivity, perhaps a little longer.>
Or are they just getting sick?
Thanks,
Lisamarie
<Cheers, Neale.>

Fish water is yuck, but is it actually harmful?? Guppy sys. 3/17/10
Hi everyone!
<Hello Amy,>
I've been searching for this topic, but can't seem to find anything, apart from a warning not to siphon dirty aquarium water with your mouth. If it was answered already, and I just didn't think of the right keywords, my apologies.
<No problem.>
I was given (gee, thanks!) a 10 gallon aquarium with 7 guppies in it-- 4 adult and 3 obviously juvenile. To say the tank was filthy is a huge understatement. It had floating dead cockroaches, clumps of what looked like pond scum, sheets of algae peeling off the inside of the tank, decomposing fish at the bottom of the tank, and so much floating
I-don't-even-know-what-but-I-suspect-fish-poop that I could barely see the inhabitants of the tank.
<Oh dear.>
In cleaning it out, I got a nice big splash of this disgusting water in my mouth. It was certainly gross, but it is potentially harmful to my health as well?
<There are two ways to answer this. In theory yes, aquarium water can carry salmonella bacteria, and salmonella bacteria can cause stomach upsets of varying severity. In practise, aquarium water rarely causes health problems
for people with competent immune systems. Indeed, exposure to such bacteria may even help enhance your immune system. But with that said, I'm a doctor of palaeontology, not medicine, so my comments here aren't anything more than personal opinion. Do I worry about swallowing fish tank water? No, never have done. But if you're at all concerned, you really should speak to a qualified medical practitioner.>
The guppies seem fine and happy now, despite the emergency tank cleaning and care by me, a total beginner.
<Enjoy the hobby! A 10 gallon tank is a bit small for Guppies, and I fear you're going to have some fighting before too long, but if you're lucky and add lots of floating plants, you might be fine.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/guppies.htm
>
Any advice (or reassurance!) you could give would be most appreciated!
Thanks,
Amy
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Fish water is yuck, but is it actually harmful??
Thank you so very much Neale.
<My pleasure.>
I'm a pretty healthy person (except for a touch of paranoia/anxiety, apparently) so I think I will wait to see if I develop any symptoms. If I do, I'll head to the doctor, but if not, I'll take this experience as a lesson to 1) not splash myself in the face with nasty water, and 2) never ever let a tank get so dirty that I immediately think I'm going to die a horrible death with exposure to the water.
<Honestly, getting sick from your fish tank isn't that common. Dogs and cats are surely more problematic once you start factoring in things like fleas and allergies. And of course you're FAR more likely to contract pathogens from human beings around you simply because they're more likely to carry bacteria and viruses specific to our kind. There's an old saying among medics that 50% of staying healthy is keeping clean, and 50% is getting dirty. In other words, staying away from disease-causing organisms is no more important than developing your immune system by being exposed to pathogens over the years. The tricky bit is knowing when to isolate yourself to pathogens and when to expose yourself to them! Personally, I wouldn't worry too much either way. Be sensible around your aquarium, but don't get paranoid.>
I'm doing all the reading I can about guppies on WWM now, and I am amazed by the amount of information posted. The little guys have a better chance of a happy, pleasant life with each new article I read, which they
certainly deserve after such an awful time in that tank.
<Glad to hear this.>
Thank you again,
Amy
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Fish water is yuck, but is it actually harmful?? Guppy sys., hlth. 3/18/10
Good morning/afternoon, crew!
<Hello,>
It's Amy here again, with one more question regarding my new guppy friends.
<Fire away.>
I was lucky enough to come across a 55 gal tank for sale, and it will-- once it's cycled properly, of course-- be the new home for my guppies and possibly a few Platies.
<If you have a mature aquarium already, you can cycle instantly. Move the existing filter to the new tank, make sure the water chemistry and water temperature aren't too different, and off you go! The bacteria will happily spread to a second filter if you decide to buy another filter for this tank. Leave the two filters running together for, say, 6 weeks, and then remove the small filter from the original tank. You should find the new filter takes up the slack without problems. Better yet, you can keep some fish in the new tank all the time, so long as the number of fish in the new tank isn't much more than the number of fish in the original, smaller tank.>
I know the guppies breed like crazy, and figure that this size of tank will give them enough room to have their offspring without having to worry too much about overcrowding, at least right away.
<Indeed. It's a good idea to either decide whether you want to remove surplus fish and sell them (in which case keep Guppies of all one variety, so you get worthwhile fry) or else opt for some biological control in the form of fish that eat fry (such as Angelfish).>
In closer inspection of the juvenile fish I was given yesterday, I noticed that one of the young ones has what can only be described as a deformed.
He's got a humpback and is noticeably shorter than the rest of the fish.
He seems fine otherwise; that is, he eats just like the others, and seems to be just as active as well.
<Very, very common. Sometimes you get higher numbers of deformities because the females aren't getting a good diet or being kept warm enough, but normally livebearers produce deformed fry because they're inbred.>
Despite the fact that I am becoming fond of him, I want to be a responsible fish owner, and do not want to allow him to pass on a deformity to any potential offspring. Is a spinal deformity a hereditary condition, or is it possible that he was born into such foul conditions that he acquired this humpback from his environment?
<Could be either. A poor environment can cause females to produce higher than average numbers of deformities, just as with humans. But usually, such deformities are indeed genetic.>
I'd rather not kill him (like I said, I'm fond of the little guy, especially since he's been through so much!) so I was thinking I could put him into the old ten gallon aquarium by himself, or possibly with another small, non-related fish to ensure he doesn't breed.
<Definitely an option. I think most experienced aquarists have done this sort of thing at one time or another, setting up a special home for a one-eyed fish or whatever that appeals to their emotions. That said, there may be other faulty genes at work here. If the fish is swimming and feeding fine, then it may do well; but if it struggles to swim and can't feed normally, then it may not live for terribly long.>
If he has already bred, and passed on the deformity, what should I do with the fry?
<Male Guppies won't breed until they're about 2, nearer 3 months old. Of course if the fish has mated with a female, and you do have more deformed fry on the way, then a certain amount of culling is, unfortunately, part of
the game.>
Any suggestions would be truly appreciated. Thank you again for all of your help on my new fishy friends!
Amy
<Cheers, Neale.>